Last updated: 11th August 2025
At The Future Skills Hub, we are fully committed to safeguarding the welfare and dignity of all children, young people and vulnerable individuals who engage with our services. This policy applies to all staff, coaches, providers, volunteers and partners who work with or represent The Future Skills Hub, whether through in-person activities or digital platforms.
To create secure, respectful, and inclusive learning environments, both physical and digital, where children and young people feel safe, valued, and heard.
To support emotional, social, and intellectual development by ensuring that every child can learn with confidence and security.
To ensure that all team members are trained and aware of their safeguarding responsibilities, including recognising signs of abuse and responding appropriately to disclosures.
To maintain clear reporting and record-keeping procedures in accordance with relevant safeguarding legislation and local authority guidelines.
To vet all individuals working directly with children or young people through appropriate background checks (including enhanced DBS checks) and ensure they are equipped with safeguarding training.
To designate a Safeguarding Lead and Deputies with clear responsibilities and accessibility.
To ensure all safeguarding concerns are managed responsibly and effectively, The Future Skills Hub has appointed the following:
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Katrina Thompson
All staff, contractors and educators will be informed of who these individuals are during onboarding or training.
Our safeguarding procedures follow current government guidance, including Working Together to Safeguard Children and any protocols set by local safeguarding partnerships.
Our educators and facilitators are often in trusted positions where young people may feel comfortable sharing concerns. All staff and volunteers must:
Listen calmly and attentively.
Reassure the child or young person they are being taken seriously.
Avoid pressing for details or asking leading questions.
Document the exact words used as soon as possible.
Report immediately to the DSL or Deputy using the designated safeguarding form.
Under no circumstances should a team member promise confidentiality or attempt to investigate the concern themselves.
We recognise that a young person who has experienced abuse, neglect, or trauma may feel isolated, disempowered, or ashamed. The Future Skills Hub aims to:
Provide a nurturing and non-judgmental environment that supports emotional and psychological well-being.
Help children build resilience, confidence, and self-awareness through holistic education.
Liaise with external agencies (such as MASH or the local authority) when concerns about a child’s welfare arise.
Offer additional pastoral care and referrals to appropriate support services where needed.
Any allegation made against a member of staff, tutor, or volunteer will be taken seriously and handled with professionalism and care.
Our procedure:
The allegation must be reported immediately to the DSL (or Deputy if the DSL is unavailable).
The person accused will be removed from direct contact with learners until the matter is reviewed.
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) will be contacted without delay and their advice followed.
Where required, Ofsted and/or other relevant regulatory bodies will be notified.
Parents or carers will be informed, unless advised otherwise by the LADO or police.
Contact for LADO and local procedures will be maintained for each region where programmes are delivered.
We acknowledge that safeguarding issues can be emotionally challenging for those supporting children and families. The Future Skills Hub offers:
Access to emotional support or reflective supervision.
Clear guidance on boundaries and roles in safeguarding situations.
Regular safeguarding training, updates, and forums to build confidence in handling disclosures and concerns.
All safeguarding concerns will be treated sensitively and shared only with those who need to know. Records will be securely stored, in accordance with our Data Protection Policy, and handled with integrity and care.
We do not guarantee confidentiality to the child where a concern about harm or risk is disclosed, but we will always explain our duty to act in their best interest.
In addition to preventing abuse, we are committed to protecting children and young people from other harmful experiences, including:
Bullying (online and offline)
Peer-on-peer abuse
Discrimination or exclusion based on identity
Radicalisation and extremism
Online grooming and digital exploitation
We actively teach digital literacy, emotional resilience, and safe relationships across our learning programmes.
As many of our programmes are delivered online, we have adapted safeguarding measures to suit digital spaces, including:
Live classes may include password protection and waiting rooms for added safety
All sessions are facilitated or supervised by DBS-checked and vetted professionals and providers.
Community guidelines to protect learners in forums and group discussions.
Parental involvement and consent for learners under the age of 18.
Concerns about interactions in our Online Learning Community will be handled in line with our safeguarding procedures.
Any disclosure, concern, or safeguarding issue will be:
Logged immediately in our secure safeguarding system.
Reported to the appropriate safeguarding lead.
Followed up with documented outcomes, actions taken, and referrals made.
Records will be retained according to statutory requirements and our data retention policy.
We believe in listening to our learners and families. All concerns raised by young people, parents, or staff will be taken seriously. We will:
Respond to concerns promptly and sensitively.
Inform relevant parties of actions taken and timeframes.
Keep all involved individuals updated throughout the resolution process.
If you are concerned about a child or young person, you can contact:
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
Police (Immediate Danger): Call 999
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. If something doesn’t feel right, please speak up.
This policy is reviewed annually or in response to significant changes in law, guidance, or practice. All staff and volunteers must read and acknowledge this policy upon joining and complete regular safeguarding training as part of their role.